On October 17th of 1989, at 5:04 pm (PST), the Loma Prieta Earthquake caused hundreds of millions of dollars of damage in the State of Fornicala, killing 63 people and injuring 3,757 people.
Some double-deck portions of the I-880 (Nimitz) freeway in Oakland collapsed down, killing 42 people. [I posted some remarkable and detailed photographs (that no others had) of another freeway incident in the Bay Area when a tanker fire absolutely melted steel — just as it did on 9/11 — though some people insisted that could never occur, then and now.]
The former elevated Embarcadero Freeway – SR (State Route) 480 — was also brought down and then never replaced.
Additionally, one 50-foot section of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge likewise collapsed, killing one person, sending them (in their car) down to the waters below (see photo). One month later, the bridge was re-opened.
The current bridge, still in use, consists of two separate decks; the upper deck moves five lanes westbound into San Francisco on I-80, and the lower deck moves five lanes eastbound into Oakland and the rest of the East Bay on I-80. I had business there just this past weekend and traveled over the bridge.
Decisions were made that, because of stability problems, the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge would be rebuilt to a large degree. It was clear that quake issues necessitated major repair or replacement for future safety and endurance. The Bay Bridge western span underwent large seismic retrofitting.
The largest project is the eastern span replacement, and is expected to be completed in 2013.
See the photo below.
But, mind you, where is it that the steel and overall fabrication for the eastern span replacement project sources?
Oh, yes: that would be CHINA.
From — oddly enough — the UK Telegraph:
New San Francisco bridge built in China to be shipped to US
First, China made cut-price clothes and knick-knacks. Then it learned how to make mobile phones and iPads. Now it is making a 2,050 ft-long bridge spanning the San Francisco bay.
Next month, four enormous steel skeletons, the last of the 12 segments of the bridge, will be shipped 6,500 miles from Shanghai to San Francisco before being assembled on site.
The bridge, which will connect San Francisco to Oakland on the other side of the bay, is a sign of how China has moved on from building roads and ports in Africa and the developing world and is now aggressively bidding for, and winning, major construction and engineering projects in the United States and Europe.
We couldn’t build these sections in the United States? We didn’t have the smelting capability? We didn’t have the workers? We didn’t have the industrial memory or the physical plant? What WAS it that said: America couldn’t do it?
But yet: China can?
Are you beginning to understand the length, breadth and depth, America?
No; I suspect you do not. You can’t be bothered to wonder about this and ask the requisite questions.
You just want your TV pablum, texting, and your Free Cheese.
You ignorant masses.
With your young futures purposely, by Leftists, uneducated and naive and isolated.
This is only one of thousands of things that will have dire US consequences.
My God, ladies and gentlemen; we can’t even fabricate our own bridges.
BZ
BZ, rather than dwell on the many obvious issues, isn’t it possible the Chinese will build into a portion of the bridge a failure point? This would allow them to crash the bridge in the event of hostilities. Too far fetched?
WSF:
No, of course, that couldn’t or wouldn’t happen.
Just because we educated the bulk of Chinese engineers here. And just because engineering is actually valued in China.
They clearly couldn’t or wouldn’t engineer a particular “failure point” in the parcels they shipped to us.
In order to, say, keep us on the hook for further steel and fabricatory updates. To rely on them in our future. To ensure future dollars.
But. Nah. Couldn’t happen.
BZ
Well, with the loss of Bessemer, US steel and the others, we CAN’T build a bridge like that any more… sigh
NFO: the Bessemer Converter — true.
I fear you are correct.
BZ
just Google chinas new aircraft carrier,and see whose the big guy soon
If the frigging nimwits in D.C. REALLY wanted to impact unemployment in THIS country, they would not be buying ANYTHING from China or any other country for that matter! You mean to tell me that not a single one of the 545 imbeciles that run this country could have thought of that? They’re to damned busy running for reelection, that’s the problem.
Perhaps you may not of heard that the granite and the artist (stone carver) for the new MLK jr. memorial are Chinese as well.
Irene rained out the dedication which gave me great joy as it was the sole reason for Otard’s early return from the Vineyaaad. He had nothing to do so he grabbed the photo op at FEEMA HQ which amazed the ranking toadies. He’s at Camp David now, resting up.
The unions have gone too far in my opinion and we are all paying a dear price. We would apparently rather ship 2050′ long bridge spans 6500 mi. (from the CHINESE no less) than pay the union rate. And, there’s much much more bridging to be done as BZ pointed out.
Same with the granite. We’re so deep in China’s pocket they will soon be making our voting booths.
In theory globalization should work to America’s advantage. It should effectively break the unions and bring in business after corrections in the labor market. Instead we bail out unions and maintain a 39.3% Statutory Corporate Tax Rate.
JIM: first, welcome aboard and thanks for the visit, and taking the time to comment! Please come back for future visits! The “new” Chinese carrier is actually a former Soviet carrier named Varyag. But hey, can’t say China isn’t a true blue water navy now.
AA, re-election and over regulation and taxation.
BZ
Are you beginning to understand the length, breadth and depth, America?
No; I suspect you do not. You can’t be bothered to wonder about this and ask the requisite questions.
You just want your TV pablum, texting, and your Free Cheese.
You ignorant masses.
Surely you don’t believe that the ones that this most applies to actually READ, and comprehend what’s written here do you?
Infinity, you make a great point. Clearly Mr Obama is stressed from vacationing in the astoundingly elitist MV, so he needs to relax now at Camp David. Good point. And good for Mr Obama. But the corporate thing just isn’t working out and won’t, until we seriously re-work and minimize the tax codes. I’m for a flat tax, no VAT, period.
Mr Obama, oddly enough, wants a VAT that is on TOP of what we already pay in federal taxes.
TF: no, but I do get to vent if I wish. It’s my blog, after all. The readership is the icing on the cake. And in cases like that, yes, I am primarily speaking or writing to the nation in general.
BZ
From what I heard we could have built the bridge sections in the United States of America, but the cost of regulations, and mandated union wages made the cost too high. The contractor that won the bid found a way to do the job at a lower cost: go to where the regulations are not so onerous, and labor costs are competitive rather than elevated by federal rules and regulations. I could be wrong, but I don’t think so. twitter @ggallman
What is it with American Labor….Unions? There was once a time when USA didi it all! Has it vanished.
I wonder what’s next!